The invention relates generally to dictation recording devices. Conventional dictation recording devices record a user's dictation on a storage device such as a magnetic tape. In response to a user's request, the device reproduces the dictation by reading the recorded signal from memory and preparing an electric signal representative of the recorded dictation. The electric signal drives a loudspeaker which reproduces the recorded dictation.
Once the user is satisfied with the recorded dictation, he typically provides the magnetic tape to a typist who prepares a typewritten transcript. The typist inserts the tape into a tape playing device which includes a loudspeaker for generating an acoustic reproduction of the dictation recorded on the tape. While listening to the reproduction of the dictation, the typist types a transcript of the dictation on the keyboard of a wordprocessing device.
One object of the present invention is to provide a portable dictation recording device which includes an output port for transmitting an output signal representative of the recorded dictation to a receiving device. Another object of the invention is to provide the output signal to a processing device. For example, the output signal may be provided to a speech recognition device which analyzes the output signal and automatically prepares a printed transcript of the dictation. Another object is to record the dictation with sufficient precision to facilitate processing the output signal for example for use in speech recognition.